[ LETTER ]

For Those Who Didn't Inherit a Fortune, Social Security Is Essential

Published: Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, April 26, 2013 at 8:45 p.m.

Why is it that so many fat cats, secure and comfortable with inherited wealth, feel that it is OK to tell the rest of us that we must rely on our own resources and not look to the government for handouts?

Somehow, these folks have made the word "entitlement" into a pejorative. They would have us believe that Social Security is some kind of government welfare rather than an annuity earned and paid for with payroll deductions.

Further, they would have us believe that Social Security contributes to the federal deficit when, in fact, the two are independent. What is true is that, starting back in the 1980s, Congress has used Social Security surpluses to partially mask federal deficits.

For the past 75 years, Social Security has been an incredibly successful program — a major part of the safety net which has kept millions of Americans from destitution. In addition, it has been essential to the stability of our consumer-driven economy.

How sad it is that there are people who are willing to let living Americans go hungry and homeless to protect future generations from the same fate. Rather than reducing Social Security benefits, for both economic and humanitarian reasons, we should be increasing them.

How ludicrous that economists who cannot tell us what will happen to the economy next month presume to tell us they know how to fix problems that will occur 50 years from now.

There are a number of easy fixes available now that will keep Social Security financially viable for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, we can only hope that the nation's future leaders will be smarter than the current crop.

<p>Why is it that so many fat cats, secure and comfortable with inherited wealth, feel that it is OK to tell the rest of us that we must rely on our own resources and not look to the government for handouts?</p><p>Somehow, these folks have made the word "entitlement" into a pejorative. They would have us believe that Social Security is some kind of government welfare rather than an annuity earned and paid for with payroll deductions.</p><p>Further, they would have us believe that Social Security contributes to the federal deficit when, in fact, the two are independent. What is true is that, starting back in the 1980s, Congress has used Social Security surpluses to partially mask federal deficits.</p><p>For the past 75 years, Social Security has been an incredibly successful program — a major part of the safety net which has kept millions of Americans from destitution. In addition, it has been essential to the stability of our consumer-driven economy.</p><p>How sad it is that there are people who are willing to let living Americans go hungry and homeless to protect future generations from the same fate. Rather than reducing Social Security benefits, for both economic and humanitarian reasons, we should be increasing them.</p><p>How ludicrous that economists who cannot tell us what will happen to the economy next month presume to tell us they know how to fix problems that will occur 50 years from now.</p><p>There are a number of easy fixes available now that will keep Social Security financially viable for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, we can only hope that the nation's future leaders will be smarter than the current crop.</p><p>FRED PICUS</p><p>Lake Wales</p>